Get your scuba diving certification with Olivia’s Reef
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course – is the world’s most popular and widely recognized scuba course. Millions of people have learned to scuba dive and gone on to discover the wonders of the aquatic world.
Who should take an Advanced Open Water course?
The Advanced Open Water Diver course is all about expanding your skills. You’ll complete two required dives—deep diving and underwater navigation—then choose three additional specialty dives based on the local environment and what excites you most, for a total of five dives. Each specialty dive you complete can earn you credit toward PADI® specialty certifications.
What makes our Advanced Open Water Course stand out?
Get more one on one focused time from your Instructor!
Get more guidance and focused time from your instructor because we run our open water courses with a maximum 2:1 student to Dive Professional ratio. Cold water diving in British Columbia has additional considerations to think about when learning to dive and large group classes make this more difficult. Cheap commodity priced courses mean more students and less time to practice skills. We offer twice as much one on one mentoring due to our instructor to student ratios compared to larger group classes.
We offer a no-rush approach to learning. Providing our students with a readiness assessment after the first dive thus allowing us to set goals to work on throughout the rest of the course. Our approach to courses means taking the necessary time to practice and master skills before moving on. Smaller class sizes leads to more time refining skills and properly preparing for diving in cold water.
Our goal is to help new divers thrive.
Become a scuba diving role model and community ambassador!
A lack of skill, competence and confidence are cited as main reasons that new divers drop out, which suggests that off-the-shelf group diving courses don’t provide enough training. Cheap commodity pricing might draw more people into “checking out” the sport, but it takes proper training and a broader diving education to keep a new diver committed. Here at Olivia’s Reef Diving, you’ll learn how we go above and beyond to ensure our students feel confident and capable of continuing the sport after completing any of our programs.
PADI Aware & Local Conservation Efforts
Learn how to be a Citizen Scientist!
We volunteer with local conservation efforts including; Rockfish Counts, Lingcod Egg Mass Survey, Sponge Reef Monitoring. Get a first hand look at how Citizen Science can provide useful data from dives significantly increasing data collection.
Optional PADI Aware course add-on:
The PADI Aware course will give you an extra dive! Learn how to be a part of global efforts to protect oceans and wildlife. You’ll have the opportunity to go out on a Rockfish Count or Lingcod Egg Mass Survey dive from shore and work through the process of recording your data underwater and submitting it afterwards.
Utilizing Enriched Air
Extend your bottom time with Nitrox
We highly recommend pairing Enriched Air with your Deep Diver Specialty Course if you are not already certified as this will allow you to extend your time at 40 meters. This extended NDL time will allow you more time to experience this new depth.
Optional Enriched Air course add-on:
Enriched air, also known as nitrox or EANx, contains less nitrogen than regular air. Breathing less nitrogen means you can enjoy longer dives and shorter surface intervals. Although it is not a deep diving gas, a low O2% ENAX mix such as 27% allows greater time at the maximum depth of 40m for this course.
PADI Advanced Open Water Course Reviews:
Advanced Open Water Course Structure
Knowledge Development:
- You’ll receive either PADI E-learning or Manual.
- Learn about advanced diving techniques, theory and practical skills
- Course material must be completed before the ocean dives
Two Required Dives:
- There are two required dives that you participate in, Deep Diver and Underwater Navigation.
- Deep diver extends your depth limits and takes you up to a maximum depth of 30m and You’ll learn advanced dive planning and safety procedures.
- Underwater Navigation expands on your compass skills teaching you new search patterns and techniques for navigation using both the compass and natural features.
Three Adventure Dives:
- As part of the advanced course, you’ll take part in three adventure dives designed to expose you to different type of diving.
- Our standard course adventure dive options are Peak Performance Buoyancy, Enriched Air, PADI Aware, Wreck Diver, Night Diver or SMB Diver
Course Add-ons:
- PADI Aware $80 (normally $180)
- Enriched Air Diver $180 (normally $250)
- Two Boat Dives $150
Whats Included with Your Course:
- PADI Open Water Diver E-learning or Manual.
- 5 Open Water ocean dives at two different dive sites.
- ALL RENTAL EQUIPMENT IS INCLUDED – This includes BCD, regulators, fins, hood, boots, gloves, tanks, weights and drysuit.
- PADI Advanced Open Water Certification Card & Fees.
Learning Options
Private Advanced Open Water- $795
Learn at your own pace! Increased schedule Flexibility with pool sessions and ocean days.
Our private scuba courses follow a more enlightened and thorough training model. Private one-to-one training is safer than group training, the training goes far beyond the minimum PADI
standards offered in a group course, you’ll have the instructor’s undivided attention and mentorship, and you’ll develop at your own natural pace.
Group Advanced Open Water – $495
This is the most budget friendly option. Join other new divers in one of our group courses. This course has set dates.
Enrollment Requirements:
- Padi Open Water Certification (or equivalent)
- Padi Drysuit Certification (or equivalent)
- You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health.
PADI Advanced Open Water: $495
Sign up today!
Meet your instructor:
Olivia has a passion for the ocean, wildlife and its protection. She has been diving since 2022 and logged over 1100 dives in British Columbia’s waters. As an avid technical sidemount diver, Freediver, community volunteer and underwater photographer, she brings a healthy pool of knowledge to every course she teaches.
She is an enthusiastic underwater videographer and loves sharing all the amazing wildlife in our waters. Her underwater photography can be found on Instagram @olivias_reef